Electric gas or vapor lamp.



P. 0. HEWITT & W.- ROGERS.

' ELECTRIC GAS OR VAPOR LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1906.

Patented Nov. 25

Arm

Kim. 4 HMW I W/TNESSES by the normal current.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COOPER HEWITT, OF NEW YORK, AND NELSON W. ROGERS, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIQNORS, BY- MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OFHOBOKEN NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEK.

ELECTRIC GAS OR VAPOR LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Ifitefiiied NOV. 25, 1913.

.Original application filed March 23, 1901, Serial No. 52,499. Divided and this application filed November 16, 1906. Serial No. 343,699.

To all whom if may concern."

Be it known that we, PETER COOPER HEWITT and NELSON W. ROGERS, citizens of the United States of America, and residents, respectively, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, and

gas as a light-emitting element. In certain forms of lamps of this character, there is found to be a reluctance on the part ofthe lamp to light up under the influence of the normal operating electromotive force of the lamp. This reluctance exists at and around the negative electrode. He has provided'various means for affording an initial starting impulse, or series of impulses, of higher electromotive force for breaking down this reluctance whereupon the current will continue to flow under the influence of the normal difference of electric potential. 1

Our present invention involves the use of a supplemental starting electrode for overcoming the electrode'reluctance and for placing the lamp in a condition to he traversed This supplemental electrode is placed in relatively close proximity to the working negative electrode, and an electric current is caused to pass from the supplemental electrode to the adjacent working electrode in any suitable manner; for instance, by bringing the two temporarily into actual contact. or by bridging the space betweenfrthe two by a good electric conductor, and' -then separating them when the current is flowing. When cprrent. is thus caused to flow from one electrode to the other the'negative electrode reluctance to starting being overcome, the remote elec trode may be substituted for the starting electrode and the current caused to pass working readily between the two working electrodes, as onlythe vapor then forms the resistance.

ing electrode for the starting electrode, to cause a momentary electromotive force of somewhat higher potential than the normal potential for insuring the substitution.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention Figure 1 illustrates one form of lamp embodying the invention and Fig. 2 illustrates a modification in the general arrangement of circuits and apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the inclosing chamber of the lamp which may be of glass or other transparent material and containing a suitable gas or vapor. It is shown as being provided with an enlargement, 4". for increasing the heat-ra diating capacity of the lamp; th-iscnlargeinent also serving to contain any slightim purities which may develop in the lamp.

The tube is provided with two working electrodes 2 and 5. When the lamp is operated by continuous currents the electrode 2 is the positive electrodev and the electrode 5 the n gative electrode. trode may be of iron or othersuitable ma- The positive elec-' It is usually found advantageous, however, in substituting the second work terial. The'negative electrode may consist of a small quantity of mercury through which projects a point ofsolid material, when the vapor path of the lamp is to be of mercury vapor. An auxiliary positive electrode, 2, is shown as being placed in the enlargement 4., in proximity to the negative electrode 5 and capable of "making actual contact therewith. The electrode 2 may be supported in any convenient manner so that it may be moved away from the electrode 5 in any convenient manner as, for instance, by means of a niagnet, 20, the colls of WhlCl'l are included in a conductor, 21, leading from the electrode 2" to the positive main conductor 14. The negative electrode 5 is connected by a conductor, 22, with the negative main conductor, 15. There may also be included in the conductor 21, a reactive coil 17 or other suitable device for causing a momentary impulse of high electromotive force.

A conductor, 23, leads from a point 2 1, in the conductor 21, to the positive elec-- 'trode 2. an electrgmagnet 25; is included ain the conductor 23, and its armature 2G, is employed foroperating a switch 27 through which the connections'of the conductor 21- arecompleted when the apparatus is not in operation' This armature. 26 is shown as being provided with a counterweight 28, for. the purpose of rendering its operation some:

i vwhat sluggishfor the purpose of introducing a time element in'its operation, it usu- 6 ally being desiraole that the switch should respond to the action ofthe magnet 25, sub-- lines 14 and are closed by means of a -'switch-29',"then current will pass through the conductor 21" to the positive electrode 2*,

thence ;to the'lectrode 5, with which it is in contact," and by way of the conductor 22 back to the, line 15. A suitable resistance may be included, in the conductor 21 in j addi'tion to the resistance offered by the electroma gnet 17,'if desired, for preventing too greata flow of current through this circuit.

- 'T l i ereupon .the electromagnet 20, will separate the elect-rode 2 from the electrode 5.

This separation causing a variation in the resistance of the circuit, will result in a high 30 potential discharge from the coil 17 through the conductor 23, to the electrode 2 and .through the tube to the negative electrode 5-. This discharge will then be accompanied by-a flow of current from thev main circuit through the entire tube between the [elec- .trodes 2.and 5. Thereupon the currentflowing through the coils ot'the magnet 25 will operate the switch 27, and thus interrupt the'circuit connections of the conductor 21 I to the electrode 2, the circuit then being from the main line through a portion of the conductor 21,-the coil 17, the energized magnet 25, the conductor 23 to the positive electrode 2, thence through the lamp to the 5 negative-electrode 5, and 'by way'of the conductor 22- to the negative main wire 15.

-\ Meanwhile, the electrode 2% will return to its normal position, the'circuit through the,

magnet 20 having been interrupted so that 5 in case the circuitis elsewhere interruptedv and the switch 27 returned. to its original position, the circuit may be again completed through the electrode'2 as before.

The coil 17 may beallowed to remain in "circuit and serve asa steadying-resistanoe for the lamp, or an additional steadyingresistance maybe included in the conductor coil 17, however, has an additional advan- 9 tags over an ordinary ohmic resistance in that itserves to compensate for anytenr porary variations in the line voltage. For instance a sudden fall in the line potential would result in a momentary increase in the as potential applied to the terminals-10f. the

theterminals of thelamp.

lamp by reason of the discharge of thecore,

and, likewise, when any sudden increase In :the line voltage occurs, the coll, 17 will tend to check the application of this increase to" In Fig. 2 a modification is shown wherein the conductor 21 is connected to a" point 32, ot' a switch 27 operated by the magnet 25. A second contact point 33, of ,this switch is connected by the conductor 21, through the coil 17 with the conductor 14 as before. In this instance the coil 17 acts as a primary of a converter, the secondary coil 18 of which is connected in the reverse direction from the coil "17' and in-the conductor 23 leading to the positive electrode 2.

A shunt circuit, 34, is provided around the secondary coil 18, its connections being-1nterr-upted when ithe apparatus, is inthe position shown in the drawing at the point 35, at which point a circuit closer is repre-- sented for completing the shunt connections when the magnet 25 is energized. and the circuit connections 32 and 33 are interrupted Aresistance 31 is included in the g0 conductor 34, and this -may be either an ohmic resistance or an inductive resistance as desired. We' have also shown in this figure a resistance, 36,. in shunt around the magnet 20 for the purpose of permitting 5 the use of a smaller magnet fonoperating the electrode 2 The operation of this apparatus.; -is essentially the same as that described with reference to Fig. 1. Upon the closing of the circuit'of the conductors 21" and 22, the current passes through the coil 17, the contact point 33, switch arm 27, contact point 32, and by way of wire 21' and" magnet 20, to theelectrode 2, whence it passes to the electrode 5 and the conductor,

22 Upon the separation of the electrodes 2 and 5, by the action of the magnet 20,

a variation of the resistance in the circuit takes place, affecting, the coil 17. and

through that causing an impulse of high potential to be excited in the secondary 18, whereupon a high potential discharge takes place through the circuit 23, including the magnet 25, passing through the lamp from the electrode 2 to the electrode 5, and out as before. The current which is then caused to flow through the circuit including. the apparatus and'the magnet 25 acts-to open the circuit at the contact points 32, 33, and to close a circuit at the point 35, by a pulling down of the switch arm 27. The secondary :18 is thus short circuited' by the wire 34-, 23,- for instance, as indicated at 31; The

including the resistance 31, and the lamp continues to operate upon a circuit includ- 'ing the wire 34, and its resistance 31, the

cuit will be properly proportioned to the i requirements of the circuit upon which the apparatus is operated.

and the negative electrode In pract'ce We have found that by start ing the lamp by first making a temporary connection between the starting electrode and thensepa= rating it, the reluctance of. the passage of the current through. the entire lamp is very much. diminished and, therefore, a. relatively small discharge impulse suflices to secure the passage of the current through the lamp. The reactive device may therefore, be made small or even dispensed with in some. instances, -The substitution of the positive electrode 2 for the temporary positive electrode is facilitated by the use of a conducting band 9 placed outside the tube at; or near the negative electrode and connected either with the ground or with a conductor leading to the positive electrode. We have also found that the presence within the tube of' a startingmaterial, such for instance, as a small amount of sulfur also serves to facilitate this substitution. While the apparatus herein illustrated is primarily designed for light-giving purposes, yet it is evident that the action of the' Parts constituting the present invention would be the same whether the device were used as a lamp or for any other of the purposes for which vapor apparatus of this class is suited.

It will be seen that the part 2 which has been called an auxiliarypositive electrode constitutes, with the electrode 5, a switch inside the container,1the same being adapted to be operated by the action of the magnet 20. It will also be seen that when the main switch 29 is'closed the circuit including the described switch is in shunt,to the main lamp circuit id that when the magnet 20 operates to open the switch the shunt circuitis broken, As a result of this operation the reactive coil 17 impresses upon the main circuit including the gas or vapor apparatus a temporary impulse of high potentia]. tending and operating to start the apparatus.

This application is a division of an application filed by us March 23, 1901, Serial Number 52,499. I

We claim as our invention:-

1. The method of starting a gas or vaporelectric apparatus having electrodes, one at least of which is composed of vaporizable material and having an auxiliary means for initially producing a local vaporization of vaporizable material at the last named electrode, which consists in initially causing a localized vaporization by means of a supplementary electrode and afterward transferring the flow of currentto the other working elect-rode.

2. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus of g the character described, having one negative the main arc starts.

electrode and at least two positive electrodes, 9

one positive electrode being adapted for electrical connection within the container with the negative electrode, the method of starting operation, which consists in automatically overcoming the negative electrode material forming said'vaporizable electrode, which consists in initiating a vaporization.

locally by means of a supplementary electrode, and thereafter transferring the flow of current from the local to the other working electrode.

' 4. The method of producing a flow of current in an evacuated space between electrodes, one at least of which during said flow of current emits a vapor, which con sistsj fin impressing upon said electrodes through two paths an electromotive force of a value insuflicientto initiate the desired flow of current and, disengaging from the vapor emitting electrode migratory ions inone of said paths by an electromotive for e of the same order of magnitude as that applied to the main electrodes.

. 10o The method of starting a vapor electric apparatushaving main electrodes and an additional or auxiliary electrode adapted to cooperate therewith, which consists in im; pressing upon a main electrode and said additio-nal electrode an electromotive force,

and by the action of said electromotive 4 force causing an initial production of ionized vapor. w

6. Themethod which consists in generating a supplementary arc, causing the main arc to start from the negative terminal ofthe supplementary arc, and automatically interrupting the supplementary are when 7. The method of operating a vapor electric apparatus having main' po-sitive and negative electrodes and a supplementary positive electrode, which consists in making and breaking contact between said supplementarv electrode and the negative electrode to produce a starting arc, continuing the starting arc until the main are forms from said negative electrode, and automatically interrupting the current flowing to said starting are a 8. The method of operating a vapor electric apparatus, which consists in causingv current to flow in a supplementary circuit in the apparatus and thereby forming 'a starting are, causing thereby the maniarc to start i'ro-m the negative termmal of the sta rting arc. and con'tro ling the flow" of ourrent-to the starting arc bycurrent fiovying 5 .in the main are. v

arc, continuing said starting are until the main are forms, and discontinuing the starting arc inresponse' to the flow of the main arc current.

10." The method of operating a vapor electrio-apparatus provided with a main circuit and a supplemental circuit, which consists 1n first causing current tofiow 1n the supplemental circuit so, as to form a starting are, continuing the' starting arc until the fmain are forms from the negative termlnal of the starting arc, and then interrupting said supplemental circuit in response to flow of-current-ln the main circuit. 1

I I 11. The method of starting and operating gas-or vapor electric apparatus having electrodes, one at. least of which is formed inn electrode.

vwholly or in part of vaporimhh: material, and.halving;- auxiliary means for initially producing a localized vaporization of the material forming said vaporizahle electrode, which consists in initiating a vaporization locally by means of a supplementary electrode, and thereafter transferring the How of current from the local to the other work- 12. The method of starting a vapor electric apparatus having main electrodes and an additional or auxiliary electrode adapted to cooperate therewith-,- which consists in impressing upon a -main electrode and said additional electrode an electromotive force causing an initial production of ionized,

vapor. 1

Signed by us at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York. this 13th day of November, A. 1)., 1906.

PETER COOPER HEVITT. NELSON W. ROGERS.

Witnesses i R. A. Hnwn'r, \VM. H. Caren. 

